Method of making shoes



C. F. PYM.

METHOD OF MAKING SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28. 1917.

1,406,280, Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GHARLES F. PYlVI, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NUR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY GQRPOBA'ITION, OF IPATERSON, NEW' JERSEY, A GOR- PORATION or new JERSEY.

METHOD O33 MAKING SHOES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLns F. PYM, a

subject of the King of England, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented. certain linprovements in Methods of Making Shoes, 0t which the following descri ation, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characterson the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to the manufacture of boots and shoes, and particularly to the operation of securing the upper in contormity to the last about the end portion ot the last. In the lasting operation as usually carried out, particularly where the inner-sole or the sole of: the shoe, hereinafter termed generically the sole, is provided with an upper attaching rib or shoulder, it is a common practice to apply a binder about the upper along the margin the forepart oi? the sole to retain the upper in lasted position. In practice the binder is usually wrapped about the margin of the upper at the end of the shoe and secured in position by twisting its ends about anchor tacks driven in the margin of the sole at opposite sides. It is an object of this invention to provide an improved method in the use 0t which the upper may be effectively secured incon't'ormity to the last at the end of the shoe with greater facility and rapidity than heretofore and with improved results in the manufacture of the shoe.

In accordance with the method of this invention, in one important aspect, the upper is secured at the end of the shoe by applying a binder to the shoe and forcing a portion or portions, for example the ends, of the binder into the shoe materials in a novel manner such as to anchor the binder-securely in place while leaving it in condition to be readily detached trorn the shoe when required without damage to the shoe materials. The best results may be secured, partlcularly on work in which the sole has an upper attaching rib or shoulder, by torehis the ends of the binder into the shoe inaterials-in directions substantially parallel to he plane 01 the shoe bottom with the end. extending laterally olthe shoe in such anqular relation to the longitudinal median line of the shoe as to prevent them from being Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented Feb. 14., 1922.

Application filed March 28, 1817. 7 Serial No. 157,861.

pulled out by the strain of the upper materials. The method maybe conveniently carried out by preparing a binder with inturned ends, and it may be also a curved intermediate portion, applying the binder first to the end of the shoe and forcing it into holding relation to the upper at that point, and then forcing the ends or" the binder into the materials at the sides of the shoe. In order to prevent the projections or ends of the binder from. being unduly deflected toward the rear end oi the shoe as they are forced into the shoe ma- ,terials they may be turned to form angles slightly less than right angles with the adjacent portions Oi the binder; and further insurance of the proper location of the end portions of the binder as they are driven may be afforded by beveling the ends on their outer sides thus rendering the shoe materials etlective, by their pressure upon the beveled surfaces, with a tendency to incline the ends of the binde forwardly toward the toe end ot the shoe. The inturned ends oi the binder may be of such length may be desired, to cause them to project to a greater or less extent into or through theshoe ma terials. It is further contemplated that under some conditions it will be advantageous to bend or deflect the projections or ones of the binder, as herein illustrated, in such manner as to dispose them in acute angular relation to adjacent portions of the binder when they are in their holding positions in tl shoe. For greater security against displacement of the binder on. some classes of work, portions oi"? the upper may be additionally fastened to the sole. For example, in the pra article of manufacture, a novel binder for use in securing; shoe materials in lasted position.

For the purpose of pointing; out more clearly and in detail one manner in which the method of this invention may be practised, the drawings show portions of an ap ctice herein illustrated the binder to prevent the ends paratus which may be used in carrying out the method, but it will be understood that the method is not dependent upon the use of any particular apparatus.

In the drawings;

Fig. 1 shows a binder as it may be prepared for application to a shoe in accordance with the method of this invention,

Fig. 2 is a view on a relatively smaller scale than Fig. 1, showing the forepart of a shoe with the upper drawn over the last by the usual upper pulling grippers, together with end wiper mechanism and binder applying means,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the wipers closed over the margin of the sole, the binder applied against the end of the toe, and the ends of the binder about to be driven into the materials,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the ends of the binder fully driven and also tacks driven in position to hold the upper, adjacent to the binder ends, from outward displacement transversely of the last,

F 5 illustrates the angular relation which the end portion of the binder may assume to the rib of the sole, I

Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating the relation of the end portion of the binder shown in Fig. 5 to the plane of the sole,

Fig. 7 shows the forepart of the lasted shoe with the binder in place, and

Figs. 8 and 9 show tacks driven in different locations for further insuring that the ends of the binder shall not be displaced.

The binder, shown in Fig. 1, may be formed, for example, from a piece of wire of suitable length to permit the binder to extend around the upper materials adjacent to the rib of the sole at the toe end of the shoe, and a considerable distance rearwardly along the sides. In carrying out the method of the invention the binder may conveniently be shaped as shown in Fig. 1 before it is applied to the shoe. As thus shaped it is bowed at 2 in its intermediate portion to approximate the contour of the toe end of the rib of the sole in the plane of the sole, and is provided with ends 4 inturned to form with the body portion of the binder angles which are advantageously slightly smaller than right angles, the end portions 4 also being beveled at 6 on their outer sides to form points.

The binder may be conveniently applied to the shoe in connection with the operationv of wiping the upper materials over the margm of the shoe sole 111 the manner usual 111 machines for lasting or for pulling over and lasting the upper. If the invention is practised in connection with pulling-over and lasting operations performed in immediate sequence, the upper will be tensioned over the forepart of the last at the end and sides and may then be wiped inwardly over the feather of the sole around the toe and carried inwardly and secured by tacks against relaxing outwardly at the sides of the fore- 3art, all as explained for example in Jnited States Letters Patent No. 1,135,950, granted on April 13, 1915 upon the application of R. F. McFeely, while in place of the use of tacks to secure the upper in lasted position around the toe a binder will be applied in accordance with the method of this invention. An important object in the use of the toe binder is to prevent the tensioned and overwiped upper from relaxing forwardly over the end and outwardly at the sides of the toe, and in accordance with one aspect of this invention this result is secured by applying the binder around the toe and inserting its ends in the upper at the sides of the toe in such manner as to hold the binder, and therefore the upper confined by it, from forward and outward displacement. For this purpose it is preferable that the binder ends be made to engage the upper near the side tacks which prevent thetensioned upper from pulling outwardly at the sides of the forepart back of the toe. If the pulling-over operation is performed separately from the lasting operation, the shoe usually comes to the lasting machine with the upper held under tension at the sides of the forepart by the described side tacks and held under tension around the toe by pulling-over tacks which it iscustomary to remove before wiping in and binding the up per at the toe. The binding-in procedure in accordance with this method is substantially the same whether practised in connection with pulling-over and lasting operations performed immediately in sequence or in connection with a lasting-operation entirely separate from any pulling-over operation,

the interval elapsing between theupper tensioning and the toe wiping and binding operations, and the relative timing of the toe binding and side tack driving operations being immaterial as far as this invention in its broader aspects is concerned.

In carrying out the operations above referred to the upper may be pulled by grippers such as 5, (Fig. 2) and the tacks inserted by tackers such as 7, and toe embracing wipers S'may be used, these wipers being mounted to swing about a pivot 10 at their frontends and movable bodily toward the shoe to force the upper into the angle between the rib and the feather of the sole at the toe end and also about their pivot to crowd the upper into the angle along the sides. Below the wipers 8 are end embracing members 12 which are pivoted at 13 and arranged to be closed against the shoe with their upper surfaces substantially in the plane of the surface of that portion of the upper which is wiped down upon the margin of the sole, the members 12 being spaced flush with the edge of the wipers adjacent.

to the pivot 10, while the side and end portions are retracted to cause the points of the binder to clear the upper materials during the operation of the wipers. ldounted to swing about pivots 15 in the spaces between the members 8 and 12 are drive-r plates: l t which may be operated at the proper time in any suitable way, as by pusher bars 16.. to force the ends 4, of the binder into the shoe materials.

The binder, which may have been previously bowed as shown in Fig. .1 or may be bent by the operator to conform it substantially to the contour of the shoe, is placed in position between the shoe embracing members 12 and the wipers 8 as shown in Fig. 2, and after the upper has been pulled, the members 12 and the wipers are forced rearwardly of the shoe to embrace the upper about the toe and to lay the upper over the margin of the sole a and forceit against the shoulder or rib b at the extreme toe end of the shoe, the intermediate portion of the binder thus being forced inward against the upper. The wipers 8 are also swung about their pivots, either during their rearward movement or subsequently, to force the upper materials along the sides of the foire p art ,of the shoe into the angle between the feather and the rib ofthe sole, the position of the parts at the end of this stage of the operation being illustratedfiu Fig. 3. The driver plates let are then operated by the bars 16, while the upper is held firmly by the wipers in lasted position,to crowd. the binder against the upper at the sides and to force the endsof the binder into the upper materials, as shown in Fig. at, and advantageously but not necessarily intothe rib or shoulder of the sole as shown more clearly in Fig. 5, the wipers then being withdrawn and. leaving the toeo'fthe upper bound in place as illustratedin Fig. 7.

Tacks, as hereinbefore explained, are preferably driven through the upper into the sole at the sides of the toe or the forepart to take the lateral outward strain of the upper. These tacks may be driven adjacent to each end portion of the binder, as shown in Fig. 4, andmay include a locking tack applied outside the end portion of the binder as'shown in Fig. 8, or a tack driven into the rib of the sole inside of the binder, as shown in Fig. 9,.to assist in holdingthe upper materials against lateral outward strain and insure that the ends of the binder shall not be drawn outof effective holding position.

,Where the method is carried out by the aid of a pulling-over and lasting machine these tacks may be driven by the usual side tacking inst-rumentalit-ies' of such machine suitably arranged to drive the tacks in the required posit-ions. Experience has demonstrated, however, that with the ends of wire binders properly angled a locking tack such as shown in Fig. 8, or a tack driven inside of the binder as shown in Fig. 9, is unnecessary on the usual lines of work.

As previously intimated, it is desirable to prevent the projections or ends of the binder from being unduly deflected toward the rear end of the shoe as they are forced into the shoe materials. By reference to Fig. 3 it will be evident that the inward movement of the portion of the binder at the side of the shoe is virtually a swinging movement about an axis near the toe end of the shoe,'and it will be clearly understood therefore that, after the binder has been forced into holding position at the toe end, if the ends of the binder were turned at right angles to the body portion the tendency would be for the ends, afterengaging the materials, to be turned backwardly toward the rear of the shoe during their continued inward movement. To counteract such tendency each end of the binder, in carrying out the method in the manner illustrated, is turned to form an angle slightly smaller than a right angle with the body portion, thus permitting the end of the binder to be forced into the materials in the manner contemplated without being bent rearwardly, the angle being nearly a right angle, however, to avoid any tendency to loosen the binder about the shoe during the driving movement. It will be evident that the required conditions are satisfied if the point of the binder first penetrates the stock at a distance from the toe end of the shoe, measured along the upper adjacent to the rib of the sole, equal tothe length of that portion of the binder which extends from the toe end to the point where its end is inturned. The bevel on the outer side of the end portion of the binder further insures that the end shall not be bent back ward in the driving operation, and this bevel moreover has a tendency to turn the end of the binder forwardly during its continued miovement after it has entered the stock. The angle or the bevel, or both, may be such that the end portion of the binder will automatically assume a final position as shown in Fig. 5, in which the end is inclined forwardly and performs the function of a hook to, hold the binder against the forward strain of the upper, while this forward strain moveover tends to hold the ends of the binder tightly in the stock against any tendency for the ends to be withdrawn by the lateral outward strain of the upper.

As previously pointed out, the end portions of the binder may be of such length as may be found most suitable in practice, having regard to the particular class of work to be operated upon. On some lines of work penetration of the upper materials by the ends of the binder without engagement with the sole will be found sufficient to hold the binder in place, while on other lines of work it maybe preferable to provide binder ends of sufficient length to penetrate the ribor shoulder of the sole to a greater or less extent or to project through the rib herein shown.

It will be evident that in a shoe lasted in accordance with the method of this invention the binder may be removed, after the upper has been permanently fastened to the sole, simply by pulling out the ends, an operation which may be performed quickly and without damage to the shoe.

While the drawings illustrate the inventionby reference to themanufacture of a shoe of the welt type, it should be understood that this is solely for purposes of illustration and is not to be regarded as import ing any limitation of the scope of the invention, since it wll be readily recognized that the invention in its broader aspects is not limited in utility to the manufacture of shoes of the welt type but is applicable to the manufacture of various kinds of shoes.

It should be understood that the term rib, similarly to the term sole, is used in the claims in a generic sense, and is intended to refer to that portion of the sole which provides an abutment against which the margin of the upper is secured in lasted position, and except Where required by the context is not to be construed as limited in meaning to'an abutment of the particular form which is characteristic of a Welt shoe.

Features of the apparatus herein shown are claimed in a co-pending application Serial No. 186,314- liled on'August 15, 1917.

Having explained the nature of the invention and set forth fully how it may be practised, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in working'the forepart of an upper into lasted position over the margin of a sole, applying a binder about the upper on the margin of the sole, forcing the ends of the binder into the shoe mate rials, and leaving said ends directed later ally of the shoe.

2. That improvement in methods of Illiliiing shoes which consists in working the forepart of an upper into lasted position over the margin of a sole, applying a binderabout the upper on the margin of the sole, forcing the ends of the binder into the shoematerials in directions substantially parallel to the plane of the sole, and leaving the'binder with its end portions in acute angular relain said angle, forcing the ends of the binder through the upper and into the rib of the'sole in directions substantially parallel to the plane of theshoe bottom, and leaving said ends directed laterally of the shoe.

l. That improvementin methods of mak ing shoes which consists in working the forepart of an upper into lasted position over the margin of a. sole, preparing a binder with end portions disposed in angular relation to its body portion, applying the binder about the upper on the margin of the sole, and. forcing the end portions of the binder into the shoe materials to holding positions in which the ends are directed laterally, of the sploe and inclined toward the toe end of the s oe. i

5. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in working an upper into lasted position about the end of a last, preparing a; curved binder with inturned ends, applying the binder to the upper at the end of the shoe, forcing the ends of the binder into the shoe materials, and leaving the ends project-ing laterally of the shoe in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the shoe bottom.

6. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in working an upper over the end of a last and into the angle between the feather and the rib of a sole, preibo paring a curved binder with inturned ends,

applying the intermediate portion of the binder in said angle at the end of the shoe, and forcing the ends of the binder through the upper and into the rib of the sole to holdin positions in which the ends are directed lat erally of the shoe. g i V 7. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in working an upper into lasted position about the forepart of a last and over the margin of a sole, applying a binder about the upper'on the margin of the sole, and forcing the ends of the binder into the shoe materials while causingsaid ends to be deflected toward the toe of the shoe by their engagement With said materials. I

8. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in working an upper into lasted position about the end of a last, preparing a binder with end portions turned inwardly to form acute angles withits body portion, applying said binder to the end of the shoe,'and forcing the ends; of the binder 1 into the shoe materials.

9'. That improvement in methodsofmaking shoes which consists inworking an upper I into lasted position about the forepart of a last, preparing a binder with end portions turned inwardly to form acute angles with its body portion, applying the binder to the end of the shoe, and forcing the end portions of the binder into the shoe materials to holding positions in which the ends of the binder are directed laterally of the shoe.

10. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in working an upper into lasted position about the end of a. last, preparing a binder with end portions turned to form acute angles with its body portion, applying the binder to the upper with its intermediate portion in holding relation to the upper at the end of the shoe, and then forcing the ends of the binder into the shoe materials in directions substantially parallel to the plane of the shoe bottom.

11. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in working an upper over the end of a last and into the angle between the feather and the rib of asole, preparing a binder with end portions turned to form acute angles with. its body portion, applying the binder to the upper and toreing the intermediate portion of the binder into said angle at the end of the shoe, and then forcing the portions of the binder at the sides of the shoe inward into said angle to cause the end portions to penetrate the upper and the rib of the sole.

12. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in working an upper into lasted position about the forepart of a last, preparing a binder having its end portions inturned and beveled on their outer sides in such manner as to cause said portions to be deflected by engagement with the shoe materials, applying the binder to the end of the shoe, and forcing the ends of the binder into the shoe materials in directions to cause said ends to be deflected towardthe toe of the shoe by the action of the materials on said beveled sides.

13. That improvement in methods of male ing shoes which consists in working an upper into lasted position about the end of a last, preparing a binder having its ends inturned and beveled on their outer sides only to form points, applying the binder with its intermediate portion in holding relation to the upper at the end of the shoe, and forcing said ends into the shoe materials in directions substantially parallel to the plane of the shoe bottom. v

14. That improvement in methods of making shoes wh ch consists in working an upper into lasted position about the end of a last, applying a binder about the upper and forcing the ends of the binder into the shoe materials in directions transverse to the longitudinal median line of the shoe, and drlvlng fasteners in such relation to the ends of the binder as to prevent said ends from being withdrawn by the strain of the materials. v

15. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in working an upper into lasted position about the end of a last and over the margin of a sole on the last, applying a binder about the upper at the end of the shoe and forcing the ends of the binder into the materials at opposite sides of the shoe in direction substantially parallel to the plane of the sole, and driving fasteners in such position as to hold the upper against lateral outward strain adjacent to the ends of the binder.

16. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in working an upper into lasted position over the end of a last and into the angle between the feather and the rib of a sole, applying a binder about the end of the shoe in said angle and forcing the ends of the binder through the upper and into said rib, and driving fasteners through the upper and into said rib adjacent to each end of the binder to hold the upper against lateral outward strain.

at the end and transversely across the last at the sides, wiping the upper over the sole around the toe, applying a binder around the toe and inserting its ends into the upper in substantially parallel relation to the plane of the sole to hold theoverwiped upper from relaxing forwardly over the toe, and driving fasteners to hold the transversely tensioned upper from relaxing laterally outward over the sides of the forepart adjacent to the binder ends.

18. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in conforming an upper to a last round the end portion of a shoe, applying a binder to the upperround the end of the shoe, and anchoring the binder by forcing a portion of it into the shoe materials to a holding position in which said portion is directed laterally of the shoe in acute angular relation to the body por tion of the binder.

19. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in conforming an upper to a last round the end portion of a shoe, applying a binder to the upper round the end of the shoe, and anchoring the binder by forcing portions thereof into the shoe materials at opposite sides of the shoe to holding positions in which said portions are directed laterally of the shoe.

20. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in conforming an upper to a last round the end portion of a shoe, applying abinderto the upperround the end of the shoe, and forcing the ends of the binder into the shoe materials to holding positions in which they are directed in acute angular relation to the portions of the binder adjacent to said nds.

21. That improvement in methods of male ing shoes which consists in conforming an upper to a last round the end portion of a shoe. applying a binder to the upper round the end of the shoe, and forcing the ends of the binder into the shoe materials in directions substantially parallel to the plane of the sole to holding positions in which they are directed laterally of the shoe in acute angular relation to the portions of the binder adjacent to said ends.

22. That improvement in methods of makshoes which consists in conforming an upper to a. last round the end portion of a shoe, applying a binder to the upper about the end of the shoe, forcing a portion of the hind; into the shoe materials laterally of the shoe to anchor the binder, and additionally fastening the upper to the sole adjacent to said portion of the binder to prevent displacement of the binder.

23. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in conforming an upper to a last round the end portion of a.

shoe applying a binder to the upper about the end of the shoe, forcing the ends of the binder into the shoe materials in directions substantially parallel to the plane of the sole to holding positions in which said ends are directed laterally of the shoe. and additionally fastening the upper to the sole adj acent to the ends of the binder to prevent said ends from being withdrawn by the strain of the upper materials.

24-. As an article of manufacture, a toe binder for shoes comprising a wire of suitable length to extend around the upper materials at the end of a lasted shoe and along the sidesof the shoe, said wire having its end portions projecting at acute angles to the body of the wire in directions to permit said ends to be forced into the materials in substantially parallel relation to the plane of the shoe sole.

25. As an article of manufacture, a toe binder comprising a. wire having its end portions inturned and beveled on their outer sides in such manner as to cause said end portions to be deflected forwardly by their engagement with the shoe materials.

26. As an article of manufacture, a toe binder comprising a wire of suitable length to extend around the upper materials at the end of a lasted shoe and along the sides of the shoe, said wire having its end portions projecting at acute angles to the body of the wire in directions to permit said ends to be forced into the materials in substantially parallel relation to theplane of the shoe sole, said end portions being beveled on their outer sides in such manner as to cause said end portions to be deflected forwardly bytheir engagement with the shoe materials.

27. In a toe binder, the combination with a body portion, of an end portion bent to form anacute angle with said body portion and adapted to be inserted in the shoe materials in substantially parallel relation to the plane of the shoe bottom.

28. A toe binder comprising a body portion, and inturned end portions adapted to be inserted in the shoe materials in substantially parallel relation to the plane of the shoe bottom and beveled on their outer sides only for sharpening the ends.

29. binder for holding an upper in lasted position round the end of a shoe comprising a strand of flexible material of suitable length to extend round the end of the shoe and having projections disposed in acute angular relation to the body of the binder and inclined toward each other, to adaptthem to be hooked into portions of the upper materials upstanding from the plane of the shoe bottom at the opposite sides of the shoe to anchor the binder to the shoe. i

30. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in conforming upper materials to the contour of the end portion of a. last or form with the margin of said materials upstanding from the bottom face of said last or form, applying a, binder round said upstanding margin and catching its end portions in the upstanding upper materials, and inserting fasteners in the work at the outer sides of the end portions of the binder to hold them caught in the upper materials.

31. That improvement in methods of male ing shoes which consists in conforming uppermaterials to the contour of the end portion of a. last or form with the margin of said materials upstanding from the bottom face: of said last or form. providing a. binder with projections adapted to catch in the up standing upper materials, applying the binder round said upstanding margin with its projections engaging the upstanding mat rials, and inserting fasteners in the Work at the outer side of the binder to hold it with its projections caught in said materials.

32. That improvement in methods of se curing upper materials in lasted relation to a sole which consists in applying a binder round the end of the upper and securing the end of the binder by forcing it into the upper in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the sole to a holding position in which it extends substantially in the direction of its penetration of the materials.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES F. PYM. 

